Karl Fujii, Chair Neil Bellinger, Vice Chair University of Hawai'i L. Thomas Ramsey, Secretary Andres Albano, Member Regents Candidate Advisory Council Nelson Befitel, Member Joseph Blanco, Member
Sommerset Wong, Member
February 4, 2013
The Honorable Neil Abercrombie Governor, State of Hawai‘i Executive Chambers Hawai‘i State Capitol Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813
Dear Governor Abercrombie:
By letter dated August 8, 2012, we informed you that the Regents Candidate Advisory Council (RCAC) would be recruiting for three seats on the University of Hawai‘i Board of Regents for terms beginning July 1, 2013. Recruitment ads were placed in statewide newspapers and the University of Hawai‘i campus newspapers in early September, with an application deadline of October 5, 2012.
On behalf of the RCAC and in conformity with the provisions of Act 56, 2007 Session Laws of the State of Hawai‘i, Act 9, 2008 Session Laws of Hawai‘i, and Act 58, 2010 Session Laws of Hawai‘i, the following candidates are presented to you to fill the seats currently occupied by Regents Barry Mizuno (Hawai‘i County) and Artemio Baxa (Maui County) and formerly occupied by Regent Michael Dahilig (At Large) who resigned on January 2, 2013.
Hawai‘i County Seat (Term to begin July 1, 2013)
1. Barry T. Mizuno 2. Roy A. Vitousek
Maui County Seat (Term to begin July 1, 2013)
1. Eugene Bal III 2. Artemio C. Baxa 3. Georgia K. McMillen
At Large Seat (Term to begin immediately upon appointment on an interim basis until confirmed by Hawai‘i State Senate)
1. John L. Fink 2. Randolph A. Moore 3. Eric A. Seitz
A total of twenty-one (21) applications were received. These applications were throughly and comprehensively reviewed and screened by all seven RCAC members.
A total of fourteen (14) candidates were selected for interviews which were conducted and based on their experience, qualifications, and skills, eight (8) finalists were selected
John A. Burns School of Medicine, Medical Education Bldg., Room 401K, 651 Ilalo Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 Phone: (808) 692-1218: Fax: (808) 692-1389: E-mail: borapp@hawaii.edu
The Honorable Neil Abercrombie February 4, 2013 Page 2
To make these candidate presentations, the RCAC complied with the statutory requirements and assessed candidates in a fair, independent, and nonpartisan manner. All candidates, as required by law, were asked to disclose any existing or anticipated contracts or financial transactions with the University of Hawai‘i. Finally, with the assistance of a nationally- recognized firm, the RCAC had background checks performed on each candidate being presented. Based on the background checks, the RCAC concluded that there were no findings to indicate that any of the candidates being presented would not be able to discharge the responsibilities as a member of the Board of Regents.
Brief biographies drafted by the candidates are attached. Simultaneous with this presentation of candidates to you, the RCAC, as required by law, is making the same information publicly available. The candidates have authorized the public release of their respective biographies to the media.
Should you have any questions, please call 692-1218 or email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Karl Fujii, Chairman Regents Candidate Advisory Council
Attachments c: Members, Regents Candidate Advisory Council Senator Donna Mercado Kim, Senate President Representative Joseph Souki, House Speaker Senator Brian Taniguchi, Chair, Senate Committee on Higher Education Representative Isaac Choy, Chair, House Committee on Higher Education Regent Eric Martinson, Chair, Board of Regents President M.R.C. Greenwood, University of Hawai‘i
At Large (1 seat)
John L. Fink Randolph G. Moore Eric A. Seitz John L. Fink
John Lee Fink was born in New York, raised in Highland Park, Illinois, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian History, minoring in communications, from Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Connecticut, before moving to Hawaii. He also attended the University of Hawaii as an exchange student in the winter/spring of 1976.
John's first job in Hawaii was as Public Relations Director for Team Hawaii (North American Soccer League), leaving to become sports director and a disc jockey for KULA-FM and KAHU/AM Radio. John then spent four years at KIKI-AM/KMAI-FM Radio as sales manager, music director and ("Weekend Warrior") disc jockey from 1979-1982.
In 1982, John joined KGMB-TV/CBS as account executive. In 1986, John became General Sales Manager of KHNL, and also handled TV play-by-play commentary for University of Hawaii wahine volleyball John was named Vice President! General Manager of KHNLlKFVE in 1996, presiding over the first all-digital newsroom in the world, and one of the country's first dual station management arrangements.
Between 1997 and 2011 John renegotiated numerous TV contracts with UH, including a ground-breaking, pay-per-view cable provision for UH Warrior football that provided additional revenue for UH. In 2003, John struck deals to air UH sports events in Israel, Malaysia, Taiwan, Philippines, and Singapore, thus providing UH and the State of Hawaii new, invaluable exposure. The broadcast deals between UH and KHNLlKFVE over 28-years (1984-2011) represented the most extensive coverage of any single university on television anywhere in America... ever.
In 2009, John was an integral part in the "shared services" agreement that occurred between KHNLlKFVE and KGMB. John now runs KFVE with the goal of adding more quality, local programming to the mix. His first foray into expanding the local programming on KFVE came about when he signed a five-year deal to air and stream the prestigious "Merrie Monarch Festival" live from Hilo in HD, beginning in April, 2010. KFVE continues to pave the way for local programming, with programs including "Na Hoku Hanohano" (The Hoku Awards), "What's Cooking Hawaii?" (in conjunction with Kapiolani Community College), "The Bu La'ia Show", "Funny Business with Augie T.", "Living Local With The Baraquios", "More Local Ventures", "Greatest UH Games Ever!", "Hot Hawaiian Nights", "HI Sessions", etc.
John has been or is an active volunteer/fundraiser with the local chapter of American Youth Soccer Organization, Hawaii Pacific University's Communication Advisory Council, the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Executive Committee, the Diamondhead Basketball Classic Advisory Committee, The Pro Bowl in Hawaii Advisory Committee, the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association, Easter Seals Hawaii, St. Francis Healthcare System, and is or has been an active Board of Director with Big Brothers Big Sisters Hawaii, the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters, the Hawaii Council on Economic Education, and Aloha Festivals. He served on the five-person Selection Committee that hired former NFL head coach, June Jones, as head football coach for UH in 1998, and also served on the selection committee in 2011 that recommended UH Wahine Soccer Coach, Michelle Nagamine. John has also emceed over 200 events for local organizations through the past 35-years. Randolph G. Moore
Randolph G. Moore is a retired business executive, middle school teacher, and Department of Education administrator. He remains active in a variety of community organizations.
Born and raised in Honolulu, Moore graduated from Punahou School, Swarthmore College, and the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He completed post-baccalaureate training at Chaminade University required to obtain a license to teach secondary mathematics in Hawaii's public schools.
After two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in a public administration project in Liberia, Moore returned home to begin a 35-year business career. The first twenty years were at Castle & Cooke, Inc., where he was a financial analyst, corporate treasurer, group controller for real estate, and then senior vice president, executive vice president, and president of its Oceanic Properties SUbsidiary. Three years as president of Molokai Ranch were followed by 12 years at Kaneohe Ranch as its chief executive officer and executive vice president of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation.
Retiring from Kaneohe Ranch, Moore was fortunate, he says, to have been hired to teach at Central Middle School near downtown Honolulu. "The students were delightful, and the faculty and staff were very supportive of this rookie teacher." One academic quarter into his fourth year at Central, Moore was summoned to the Department of Education's state office to assist for a year with the implementation of Act 51 - the 2004 Legislature's "Reinventing Education" act. He spent his final 6% years at DOE as assistant superintendent for school facilities and support services.
Guided by a philosophy at Castle & Cooke that executives should take an active role in community affairs, Moore has been a director or trustee and board chair or president of Aloha United Way, the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hale Kipa, Hanahauoli School, Hawaii Community Services Council, Kahuku Foundation, Molokai Museum and Cultural Center, Oceanic Institute, and Punahou School. He has been a director of First Federal Savings & Loan Association, Haleakala Ranch, Hawaii Stevedores, Koga Engineering & Construction, Maui Land and Pineapple Co., Molokai Ranch, and Parker Ranch. He has been a trustee of Friends of lolani Palace, Hawaii Pacific University, and Palama Settlement.
He is currently the president and trustee of the S.N. and Mary Castle Foundation, board chair and director of the Hawaii Housing Development Corporation, a director of the Harold K.L. Castle Foundation and Grove Farm, and a trustee of Punahou School.
He has also served on various government boards and commissions, including the Barbers Point Naval Air Station Redevelopment Commission, Hawaii Performance Partnerships Board, Hawaii Strategic Development Corporation, Economic Advisory Task Force (to Governor George Ariyoshi), and the State Plan Advisory Committees for AgriCUlture, Housing, and Tourism.
Moore lives in Honolulu with his wife, Lynne Johnson, who earned two masters degrees and a PhD. from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and often lectures there in musicology. They have two daughters. One is an English teacher at Kaimuki Middle School. The other is a leader of active outdoor tours for Backroads. Eric A. Seitz
Mr. Seitz graduated cum laude from Oberlin College in 1965, and received a law degree in 1969 from the University of California at Berkeley. After teaching in the Ethnic Studies Program at UH Manoa and serving for four years as a supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Society, Mr. Seitz entered full time private practice in 1979, emphasizing criminal defense, civil rights, employment, and military litigation. He has travelled throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia -- including one trip to Afghanistan - representing American military personnel in a wide variety of proceedings. He has participated in a range of criminal matters -- trials and appeals -- in the state and federal courts ranging from traffic citations to more than thirty murder cases, successfully pursued civil rights cases involving speech, due process, police misconduct, and prison conditions, including several class actions. In 1989 he first represented a then fourteen year old Maui teenager named Jennifer Felix whose name is now commonly associated with enormous improvements in special education and children's mental health programs and services throughout the State of Hawaii. Over the past twenty-five years Mr. Seitz has advocated for students, parents, teachers, and school administrators in a wide variety of education cases. He also has represented many professionals - doctors, lawyers, psychologists, dentists, and others -- in licensing and regulatory matters as well as employees, employers, and small unions and labor organizations in many kinds of employment disputes.
In his current law practice Mr. Seitz and three full time associates handle a variety of cases in the fields in which he has practiced for more than forty years. More than half of their legal work is uncompensated. This semester he also is serving as an instructor at the UH School of Law teaching a course in constitutional law.
Mr. Seitz has been married for more than thirty-eight years to Dr. Rae Seitz who is employed as a medical director with HMSA. Their daughter, Juli, manages Mr. Seitz's law practice, and their son, Jeremy, is a high school teacher and soccer coach at Farrington High School. In his spare time Mr. Seitz competes in tennis tournaments and leagues, plays recreational soccer, and enjoys traveling -- especially to England where he is an avid soccer fan. Hawaii County (1 seat)
Barry T. Mizuno Roy A. Vitousek III Barry T. Mizuno
For 20 years, Barry T. Mizuno has been in the geothermal power business (Puna Geothermal Venture) and a private energy consultant. As the on-site manager representing the owners of the project, Mizuno oversaw the project at its infancy in 1992 through 2006, when PGV supplied 20% of the Big Island's electricity needs. Mizuno retired in 2006 to form BTM LLC, a private energy consulting firm and fully retired at the end of 2012.
Mizuno has also served Hawaii County Government as its Finance Director as well as Managing Director during the administration of two Big Island mayors. As Managing Director of Hawaii County under Mayor Lorraine Inouye, Mizuno managed and coordinated the activities of all county departments, except the Prosecutor's office. As Finance Director, he directed the preparation of the annual budget, oversaw the County's Information Technology Division, Accounting, and Real Property Tax Division.
A CPA, Mizuno has resided on the Big Island since 1983 when he became the CFO, Treasurer and Controller for Hamakua Sugar Company, Inc., the largest, contiguous sugar plantation in Hawaii. Mizuno previously resided on Oahu and was employed by TheoDavies and its subsidiaries in various accounting and management positions, as well as at Hawaiian Electric Company in internal audit.
Mizuno is currently serving on the Board of Regents of the University of Hawaii, completing a short term appointment left vacant by resignation of the previous Regent. He serves as chair of the Planning and Facilities Committee, vice-chair of the Committee on University Audits, and a member of the Committee on Community Colleges and Budget and Finance Committee.
Mizuno is very active in the community and recently served as co-chair of Hospice of Hilo's community capital campaign to construct a 12-bed in-patient facility to serve the Big Island community. The $10 million project is the only neighbor-island Hospice in-patient facility. He has also been actively involved with the Mayor's Healthcare Sustainability Taskforce and the Geothermal Energy Working Group. He currently serves on the boards of the Hawaii Island Economic Development Board, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Hawaii (Past President), and W. H. Shipman, Limited (Director and Vice-President).
Mizuno is the past chair of the Hawaii County Salary Commission, and has served on the boards of Hawaii Island United Way, Hawaii Island Chamber of Commerce, Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority, and the High Technology Development Corp.
He is also active with his church, Honpa Hongwanji Hilo Betsuin. He is a Past President of Hilo Betsuin and has served in various capacities at Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii
Mizuno grew up on a sugar plantation on the island of Kauai and graduated from Waimea High School. Through his formative years, his parents instilled upon Barry and his siblings on the importance of higher education as the avenue to improving their lives in the future. With their meager wages as plantation workers, his parents insisted that each of their children would go to college. Mizuno earned a BA in Business Administration/Accounting from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington.
Mizuno has been married to his wife, Carolyn for 41 years and have two grown daughters and three grandchildren. Roy A. Vitousek III
Roy A Vitousek "' (Randy) is a resident of Kamuela, Hawai'i, and is the Resident Partner in the Big Island offices of Cades Schutte LLP.
Born in Honolulu, Mr, Vitousek attended Hanahauoli School and Punahou School then graduated from Hawaii Preparatory Academy in Kamuela, Hawai'i. He earned a BA in Psychology from Williams College in 1972, then returned to the Big Island and was employed by the Kona Village Resort. Mr. Vitousek entered the first class of what became the William S. Richardson School of Law and graduated in 1976.
Upon graduation from law school, Mr. Vitousek served as a law clerk for Justice H. Baird Kidwell in the Hawai'i Supreme Court then joined Cades Schutte Fleming & Wright in 1977. In 1987, he opened the firm's Big Island offices.
Mr. Vitousek specializes in land use, litigation, employment, and hospital law. He is licensed in all state and federal courts in Hawai'i, the U. S. Supreme Court, and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Mr. Vitousek has served as an adjunct and assistant professor at the William S.Richardson School of Law and has taught Hotel Law at the University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management. He is a former President of the Young Lawyers Division of the Hawaii State Bar Association and the Hawaii Institute for Continuing Legal Education. He is a current member of the Board of Directors of Hawaii Preparatory Academy.
Mr. Vitousek is married to Dr. Sharon Vitousek and they have three children: Sean, Mike, and Malie. Sean and Mike have masters degrees from University of Hawaii at Manoa; Sean in Coastal Geology and Mike in Applied Archaeology. All three children were college varsity athletes: Sean (volleyball, Princeton University), Mike (football, Bowdoin College), and Malie (water polo and swimming, Colorado College). Maui County (1 seat)
Eugene Bal III Artemio C. Baxa Georgia K. McMillen Eugene Bal III
Eugene Bal III is the Executive Director of the Maui High Performance Computing Center (MHPCC) and has held this position for the past 16 years of the Center's 19 year history. Combined with his naval career, he has over 40 years of experience in leadership roles managing all aspects of complex scientific, technical, and engineering programs.
As the MHPCC Executive Director, he has applied his program management and leadership skills in directing the daily execution of all operational and administrative responsibilities. The most notable achievements during his tenure include the transformation of the organization from a technology concept into highly selective membership in the highest echelon of supercomputing centers within the Department of Defense, directing all High Performance Computing technology acquisitions including deploying the # 11 supercomputer in the world, maintaining effective cost control and financial management accruing a positive cost variance of over $ 25 M, planning and executing infrastructure improvements such as the development of the new Data Center, earning National recognition with the 2010 James S. Cogswell Industrial Security Award, and leading the execution of the MHPCC contract earning Government performance assessments of "Excellent" resulting in the award of all contract extensions.
As a Naval officer, after a decade of combat flying, Sal transitioned to the Navy's program management and acquisition community as an Aerospace Engineering Duty Officer He held positions as the Chief Engineer for the development and acquisition of avionics systems, Department Head for Systems and Software Research and Development, Deputy Program Manager and Detachment Commander of a multidisciplinary team responsible for oversight of a $ 600 M Full Scale Engineering Development contract, and assignment as one of a select number of military Program Managers at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) where he was responsible for execution of an annual bUdget of $ 100 M developing "first of a kind" technologies. After 25 years of service, Sal retired as a Navy Captain to join MHPCC.
Bal's community service spans National, State, and Maui organizations inclUding the National Science Foundation National Visiting Committee for the National Center of Excellence in High Performance Computing Technology, Governor's Economic Revitalization Task Force, State of Hawaii Workforce Development Council, Hawaii Community Foundation Board of Governors, Hawaii Technology Development Venture, United States Naval Academy Information Officer for Maui County, Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Leadership Council, Maui County Mayor's Advisory Committee, Maui County Small Business Advisory Council, Maui Economic Development Board, Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation, Maui Historical Society, and the Maui County Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
A graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Bal earned a Master of Science degree from the United States Naval Postgraduate School, graduated from the Advanced Executive Program at the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and is a graduate of the Defense Systems Management College. Artemio C. Baxa
Born in a remote farming village in the northern Philippines, I immigrated to the United States in 1967 to join my father in Maui, who came to Hawaii as an indentured laborer with Hawaiian Commercial Sugar Company
My educational background includes a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo de Manila University (1960), Master of Comparative Law at the University of Chicago Law School (1964), a Juris Doctorate at the William S. Richardson School of Law (1978), planning studies at the University of Hawaii School of Urban and Regional Planning under a two-year study grant (1970-1972), and a Certificate in Program of Instruction for Lawyers from Harvard Law School (1985).
In Hawaii, I started working as a part-time hotel desk clerk and bellhop, and sometimes did yard work. My first full-time job was as a community and consumer aide at Maui Economic Opportunity, later becoming the Planner, and Community Improvement and Development Coordinator.
After passing the Hawaii bar in 1978, I worked for the County of Maui, initially as a Deputy Corporation Counsel, then as Deputy Director of the Department of Human Concerns. In 1979, I began my career as a Deputy Prosecutor on Maui, which was interrupted in 1991 when I joined the law firm of Lowenthal, August and Graham for about five years, and when I was appointed in 1998 as a Circuit Court judge in the Second Circuit, by then Governor Benjamin J. Cayetano. Upon my retirement from the bench, the Maui News titled its editorial page of November 9, 2001: "Retiring JUdge a Maui Role Model."
In 2003, I returned as a Deputy Prosecutor, and am presently assigned to the Appellate Division. On August 2,2004, I got my license to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States.
I have also served as a member of the Maui County Charter Commission that recommended amendments voted upon in the November 2012 election (ApriI2011-November 7,2012), and am currently a member of the UH Board of Regents.
Previously served as an officer and/or board member in some civic and community organizations. Among them are: The Maui Jaycees, Maui Mental Health Association, Hale Makua Board, Maui Filipino Chamber of Commerce, United Filipino Council of Hawaii, and Maui Economic Opportunity. Past positions also include serving as president of the Maui County Bar Association, and as Commission member of the Hawaii State Filipino Centennial Commission, which in 2006, commemorated the 200 years of Filipino immigration to Hawaii.
Among some recognition received are: the first Maui County Employee of the Year Award (1988); one of the 20 outstanding Filipino-Americans in the U.S. and Canada by the Filipino Image Magazine, Washington, D.C. (2002). In 2005, when Maui County held the Centennial Celebration of its founding, I was one of the 100 outstanding citizens of Maui County for 1905 to 2005; and in 2010, was recipient of the Golden Sakada Lifetime Achievement Award from the United Filipino Council of the State of Hawaii. Georgia K. McMillen
Georgia K. McMillen is an attorney based in Wailuku Maui with 25 years of experience advocating on behalf of the indigent in federal and state courts. Outside of her legal practice, she serves as Appellate Lawyer Representative to the U.S. Court of Appeals' Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, which assists the Court in improving the administration of justice.
She is a member of the Native Hawaiian Bar Association's board of directors, which provides education forums on Native Hawaiian legal issues and history, among other activities. She has written for the Hawai'i Bar Journal and taught law as an adjunct professor for Hawaj'i Pacific University and the University of Hawai'i, Maui College.
She spent her early legal career in law firms in New York and New Jersey representing corporate and financial institutions in complex commercial litigation.
McMillen is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and the University of Hawai'i Manoa. She holds a J.D. from New York Law School, where she was managing editor of the Journal of Human Rights.
On Maui she has tirelessly served the outreach program for Keawala'i Congregational Church, which provides financial assistance to those in need.